The Gotham Film & Media Institute and Laika have unveiled the inaugural fellows for the Laika x Gotham Animation Accelerator, a new initiative supporting early to mid-career animation creators developing animated short film pitches.
The first class of fellows features UGFTV faculty Emily Ann Hoffman, Ben Ellebracht, and Searit Kahsay Huluf. The six-month program provides mentorship, access to Laika’s Portland studio, participation in Gotham Week programming and visibility through Filmmaker Magazine.
Hoffman, an animator and filmmaker whose work has screened at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and Slamdance, joins the accelerator with The Pond Prince, about a former reality dating show star frog struggling with life after fame.